There are so many life lessons that I want to teach my children.
So many nuggets of wisdom that I want to place on their hearts with the strongest superglue possible.
The importance of being a friend, and understanding the precious gem that is true friendship is pretty high up on that list.
So as part of my Life is a Special Occasion Valentine’s Hallmark Series, I decided to share some of my friendship advice with my kids – and y’all.
Friendships: The Care and Keeping Of
1. Dates with your good friends are important for your soul – have them at least twice a month
2. Be friends with people who know how to have fun and make you laugh at life and yourself.
3. Tell them what they mean to you – frequently. I love sending cards and texts and surprising my friends with notes telling them how I appreciate them, and what their friendship means to me.
4. Find the ones who make your soul sing, and know that they are your heart friends and with them – you can do anything.
5. Be the friend who will drop their life in an instant to be there for them when they need holding and uplifting.
6. Start traditions together – the memories will last a lifetime and strengthen your bonds
7. Say you’re sorry, and admit when you’re wrong
8. Give forgiveness and don’t hold grudges
How do you strengthen the bonds of friendship? What would you like to tell your kids about making and keeping friends?
Thank you, Hallmark, for choosing me to be their Valentine’s “Life Is A Special Occasion” blogger for 2013. It’s an honor and joy to work with y’all again and to share my life with y’all every day.
I am a FIRM believer in this.
Fabulous list!
I think the giving grace and not holding grudges part is huge – it’s key in any relationship!
These are good points. I hesitate to admit that I haven’t thought much about modeling good friendship for my sons. Thanks for giving me something to think about…
Oh Rachel. Such a lovely and perfectly timed reminder 🙂 I guess I would/should tell them to embrace those who bring out your inner sparkle… friends who steal your sparkle are not actually friends 😉 You bring out mine <3
I’m so glad you bought that photo.
And that you were able to be with me in the place I called home for 23 years.
I’m so happy vibrators brought us together and that thanks to the internet we will never be torn apart.
You are true friend among friends and I’m honored to call you mine.
You certainly know how to be a good friend! Your children have a great example & you are so very wise to instill this in them. I love your list!!
How this touched my heart when I needed it the most. Thank you, so much, my dear friend.
Good reminders. You have to be a good friend to have good friends.
oK – count me out. I subscribed to this because you had recipes I was interested in. However, I don’t really want to read your Hallmark advertisements or any of the other far too frequent advertisements you have.
I wish you well in the future, but I won’t be there to see what happens, because you have abused your privilege.
And I don’t expect this comment to be posted, and understand why.
Joan, I know we went back and forth via email, but I wanted to respond here, too.
Your comment wasn’t ugly or hateful, so of course it will post. I respect your opinion, and you’re of course entitled to it. I’m very sad to lose you as a reader, but it’s obvious that my blog isn’t the right fit for you, or isn’t meeting your needs.
I have absolutely slacked off on posting recipes the past month – I haven’t actually cooked in a month either (not anything of consequence, or for photographing) we have spent the past 3 weeks out of town and in a hospital with Nathan’s grandmother where she was placed on a skilled nursing floor due to the advanced stage of her cancer.
She passed away Friday, the 25th and from there we started planning her services.
I have lots of recipes and ideas in my head and can’t wait to return to cooking and sharing my love of recipes and food with y’all.
I apologize that you’re disappointed and you feel that I’ve abused my privileges. I do have sponsored posting on here, as this is my personal blog and that is one way that I make my income. I would never post or be sponsored by anything that I do not fully believe in, and those ideas, opinions, posts – sponsored or not – are a part of my life, and that’s what this is.
A blog about my life and family, which quite often leans heavily towards food and recipes.
I urge you to look into: Recipe Girl, Two Peas and Their Pod, Adda Pinch Karly at Buns in My Oven or Aggies Kitchen all are amazing people and focus almost solely on food.
I wish you the best, and appreciate your candor.
Rachel
🙂 Great post!
But, I really hope that “Joan” didn’t get lost finding the unsubscribe button! Geez! 😉 LOL!
BTW, stop abusing your privileges by posting such nonsense on YOUR PERSONAL BLOG!!!! How dare you! bwhahahaha! Sorry, you know me! I couldn’t help myself. 😉
This is great advice and something that I really need to remember. There’s nothing I (would/do/will) regret about holding my friends close.
I absolutely ADORE your blog and if “Joan” this you’re abusing your right as a blogger, then maybe she should start her own blog called, “My Opinion is Ridiculous.com.” What flipping non-sense. Joan, check out food.com if you want recipes. Good Lord!!!
Oh, I love this post, Rachel! Such a great gentle reminder that we need to model friendship for our kids. I absolutely love all the photos too and happen to think a few of those people in these photos are pretty darn special too. Love you!!
Friends and nuturing those relationships is such an important thing. Love this post!
Love all of the photos and this post. You always inspire me to be a better person! Thanks my friend! xo
You make me want to be a better friend! 🙂
I love this post! All very true!
Dropping everything to be there is at the top of my list. That shows the true strength of a friendship. Thanks for sharing all on your list, every single one are the perfect ingredients for long lasting friendships.
My apologies for my hubby’s avatar : )
Love this! You sound like you are a wonderful friend!